Chinese Cinderella (Page 42 to 84)

Title: Chinese Cinderella
Author: Adeline Yen Mah
Page 42 to 84

Summary
Wu Mei (fifth daughter) has more complications with her family. As the two children of Niang are being spoiled with nice stuffs, the other five siblings are jealous. In Chinese New Year, the Fourth Brother and the Little Sister receive new western clothes. However, the rest only receives new “ancient” and traditional Chinese clothes, which made them mad. The five siblings plan to defy Niang. The head of group is Big Sister, except their plan fail as Niang brides Big Sister with high quality of clothes and a better room. Aside of Mei’s life with her complicated family, in school Mei feels more elated with her friends. Everyone in her class assume Mei as “genius” due to her perfect grades. In her childhood, Mei developes the desire to write short stories and is praise by her classmates such as Wu Chu-Mei. She becomes Mei’s best friend. In August 1945, the Second World War ends by the United States victory over Japan. Many American soldiers establish in Shanghai and the eight year old Mei is happy. Anyhow, as the memoir goes on, Mei attaches with her Aunt Baba and grandfather since her siblings are not trustworthy. One day, the Huang, friends of the family, give gifts to the seven children. The seven presents are ducklings. Mei was so excited to have a pet and named her Precious Little Treasure (PLT.) Therefore, with a heartbreaking incident that causes the PLT’s death. Mei desires to leave her family becomes stronger. The main conflict is between Mei and almost all her family.

Quote
“The little duckling cocked her head to one side and looked at me with dark, dewy round eyes” (Mah 73).

Reaction
During the story, there is a dual narrative voice from little Mei to older Mei. Adeline Yen Mah does an excellent job combining both voices. Her writing style and Amy Tan’s writing style are similar. Due to the narration style as well as the vocabulary use to describe the narrator’s emotions and thoughts. The narration is subjective, omniscient, and on first person point of view (POV). Also, Mah’s imagery use is one of the qualities that make her story more realistic. Look at the quote above. Mei is describing her PLT when she met her. Mah does not use simple adjectives. Instead of “cocked” she could pick “moved” and the phrase “dark, dewy round eyes” could be replace with a simple “black eyes.” The quote has strong imagery as well as strong connotation.